Materials for Teaching

For Educators and Students

The National Archives at Denver is a wonderful resource for teachers and students.

Materials for Teaching

The National Archives at Denver is in the process of creating primary source document lesson packages using documents from each of the seven states in our region. Learn more

Celebrating Constitution Day in the Classroom

The United States government has mandated that September 17th be observed as Constitution Day to commemorate the September 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution. The National Archives encourages teachers and students at all levels to learn more about our Constitution and government.

For Teachers

We hold a large amount of primary records that can be easily tied into school curriculum. The records cover a wide scope of topics including, but not limited to:

homesteading, mining, and railroads

Indian affairs

dam construction and other reclamation projects

national parks and forests

Civilian Conservation Corps projects

proceedings of territorial courts

We also hold over 60,000 rolls of microfilmed records.
The bulk of the collection is the Federal population census schedules from 1790-1930 for all States.
These holdings are complimented by:

Indian census rolls (1885-1940)

Revolutionary War service and pension files

U.S. Customs Department ship's passenger arrival lists (1820-1953)

returns from U.S. military posts on the frontier

Federal naturalization records

We also hold microfilm copies of more specialized series, such as those of Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (1861-79), which document relief and educational activities for freed slaves and refugees in the former Confederate States.

Training for Teachers

We are an active supporter of education initiatives throughout the Rocky Mountain West,
with special emphasis on assisting teachers in the use of primary source documents in the classroom.
Resources permitting, we:

teach workshops for educators at our facility or in schools or other settings

provide copies or images of primary sources suitable for use in the classroom

co-sponsor workshops with recipients of Teaching American History grants

For Students K-12

Students can find a wealth of primary source material useful for many kinds of student research
in the Federal documents located in our Regional Archives. Use these materials:

as the foundation for extensive research projects

as a resource for answering or illustrating specific questions

for supplementing other sources

Staff archivists are available to assist you in your research and to explain related resources in other historical institutions.

For College and Graduate Students

Our staff is interested in helping you use our resources in your research project.
Please feel free to contact us directly to receive assistance in narrowing your topic
and finding primary resources that would be useful to your topic.